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I’d been counting the days until this year’s Jamboree the way kids count down to Christmas. Beleaf it or not, pun intended again, BeLeaf had agreed to close the store at seven that night to make sure all employees could attend the event. As booth project manager, I would head over by three to set up, meet the delivery drivers, and retrieve the coolers and storage containers for our spread.

“What do you need from me?” Kyle asked, peering over my shoulder in the kitchen.

“It would be great if we could coordinate our schedules.”

“Does that mean we can spend a little time at the fair together? Just us.”

“If byfair, you mean Jamboree, then yes. I want to show you the ins and outs because you do not know what you do not know.”

“And you’re a professional.”

“Don’t you know it. You have to try the roasted ears of corn with all the spices.”

“I’m intrigued. Keeping talking, Small Town.”

I accepted my new nickname as a badge of honor. “Then there are the snowball cookies, the peppermint brownies, and Christmas tree cake pops.”

“I can feel the sugar high already.”

“You’ll need to come hungry, because there’s also a hot chocolate bar. I’m not kidding.”

“Who would kid about that?”

She was humoring me. It was fine. She’d see the wonders of the Jingle Jamboree for herself soon enough. “And we have to make sure we don’t miss the big finale. The choir from the Methodist church assemble themselves on these tiers that make them look like ornaments on a Christmas tree. It’s really something to behold.”

“Do you know what else is?” She placed a hand on her hip. “You when you get that excited twinkle in your eye.”

“Say more.” I offered akeep it cominggesture.

“The first time I saw it was when you told me about your Airbnb business. You were so fired up, and I thought it might have been the sexiest thing I’d ever seen.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but the words evaporated. I was sexy on a first impression? No. I could imagine my sex appeal growing on someone over time, but it didn’t arrive first. “I’m not sure I believe that. You thought I was sexy in the hallway of that hotel?”

“One hundred percent. I didn’t want to leave but also didn’t want to make it weird that I lingered.”

I laughed and scrubbed my eyes. “I’m just having a difficult time processing this new take.”

“Take all the time you need. It’s what happened.”

“Mm-hmm,” I said, watching her. Her dark hair was down and little untamed, which made me imagine running my fingers through it. Probably my favorite look of hers.

“You affect me to a degree that it’s distracting.” She moved toward me, almost stalking. “It’s awesome but also unnerving.”

I stood taller. “Why unnerving?”

“Because I want to make you happy.” She raised a shoulder. “I want you to be proud of me. And a little part of me hopes you think about me as much as I think about you.”

“Trust me when I say that I do.” I grabbed her hand and pulled her close to me. “Even when I didn’t want to. So there.”

“And now?”

“Now I love it.”

“Love?” she proclaimed exuberantly with a smile before sinking into a kiss that left my body humming in happiness.

“I love a lot of things about us,” I said.